Cordage machine



June 21, 1932. F. zETTEK CORDAGE MACHINE Filed Sept. 30, 1929 .1 mllmPatented June 21, 1932 UNITED STATES .PATENT OFF-ICE- FRANK ZEITEN, OPCHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR To KELLOGG SwITCHBoAnn AND '9 SUPPLYCOMPANY, OP CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or ILLINOIS commen MACHINEAppncaan mea september 3o, 192s. serial No. 396,050.

My invention relates to wire stranding machines and has to do moreparticularly with the wire twisting mechanism as used on such machines.

In stranding machines of the present type as commercially used thetwisting of a number of wires into a cord is attained by subjecting thecomponent wires to a simultaneous rotary and drawing movement; the irstl0 being supplied by a rotating disk or a spider upon whose periphery orarms the spools of insulated wire are conveniently located and thesecond by a capstan wheel around whose outer rim the already twistedwires or cord is wound and which draws the latter through a stationarysizing bushing or mouthpiece.

The machine places a cover around the wires after they are twistedtogether.

It has been found that owing partly to the considerable strain andfriction to which the wires are subjected in the stationary bushing,partly to incidental variations of the tension of the capstan wheel, thewires would frequently become tangled or irregularly twisted or brokenduring the twisting and covering operation.

To overcome this difficulty I have arranged a simple but an efficientdevice consisting of a rotary wire guide secured to the supporting frameby means of a ball bearing and serving as a receptacle for themouthpiece into which the wires are being fed, the whole rotaryarrangement operating to reduce the friction and facilitate the twistingof the wires into 5 a cord.

For a better understanding of my invention reference may be had to theaccompanying drawing, in which I have illustrated a preferred embodimentof my invention and in which like reference characters in the severalviews denote like parts, and in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a section through the twistingattachment as invented by me;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the wire guide; and Fig.l 3 is a bottom view ofthe wire guide. Referring now more in detail to my invention asillustrated, the rotatable die com-V prises the wire guide 2 made ofhardened tool steel and having at its upper part a tubular extensionl 3serving as a receptacle for the guide by means of the screw 5 pressingagainst vI'nouthpiece 4, which issecured to the wire an indention 6 inthe` cylindrical surface of the mouthpiece. The wire guide is secured tothe stationaryl frame 7 by means of the ball bearing 8 whose inner ring9 resting on the shoulder l() of the wire guide is held in place by thecover plate Vl1 which serves also c t0 protect the bearing `from lintand grit and 'which iS pressed against the bearing by the rings l2having a screw-threaded engagement with the ltubular extension 3 of thewire guide 2. Around the `circumference of the rings l2 a number -ofsuitable perforations .13 are provided which'serve to'receivethe jaws ofa key for tightening said rings.

The hollowed lower part 14 of the wire guide isboundedgfrom belowl by apartial conical surface 15 having a central aperturel and a number ofequally spaced orilices17 conveniently distributed around the centralaperture las Shown in the drawing. Underneath the twist-ing attachmentas described above and independent from the' Same but cofaXial with itis located a rotating disk-or a spider, not shown in the drawing, uponwhose periphery or arms a number of spools v spools the wires 18 are ledfirst through the orifices 17 of the wire guide 2 and then into themouthpiece 4 where the wires are twisted into a cord. The cord is drawnupwardv by 'ofwire are conveniently secured. From these a capstan wheel,not shown in the drawing,

around whose'outer rim the Vcord is'f wound. The actual twisting of thewires into a cord isa result of the combined drawing motion of thecapstan wheel and the rotation of the spools as well as of that of thewire yguide H which being secured to the rigid frame 7 by means of aball bearing is compelled to revolve with the wires owing to thepressure of the same in the orifices 17.

The advantage of having a rotary wire guide and especially such assupported by a nearly frictionless ball bearing and impelled in itscircumvolution by the pressure of the wires themselvesconsists in itsability to respond flexibly either to incidental fluctuation, in thespeed with which the wlres are if f drawn or rotated and unrolled fromthe spools or to any irregularities in the thickness 0f the individualwires all of which may tend to complicate the process of twisting andcause tangling and breaking of the wires.

The cylindrical mouth 4 is perforated through its center to suit thethickness of the cord, and its lower part is conveniently rounded with aview of minimum friction.

In illustrating my inventionI have shown an embodiment worked out forcommercial purposes, but it will be obvious to those skilled in the artthat minor changes maybe made without departing from the spirit of myinvention, and I, therefore do not wish to be limited by the exactstructure as shown, but

aim to cover all such changes and modifications as come within thespirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby United States Letters Patent is- 1. In a cordage machine, a frame, anannular member frictionally held therein, a second annular member withinsaid first annular member, a ball bearing between said annular members,a wire guide having a frustro-conical outer surface with a plurality oforifices therein, screw threaded collars holding said wire guide infrictional engagement with said second annular member, a removable die,and a. set-screw for holding said die in said wire guide.

2. In a cordage machine,` a frame, a removable die, a set-screw forholding said removable die, a wire-guide having a frustro-conical outersurface with orices therein and a hollow cylindrical portion adapted toreceive said removable die, a plurality of wires passing through saidorifices in said wire guide, a ball bearing having an inner and an outerannular member, said inner annular member held in frictional engagementwith said wire guide and said outer annular member held `in frictionalengagement with said frame,

said wire guide adapted to rotate under the influence `of the wirespassing through the orifices in said wire guide.

Signed by me at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,this 27th day of September, 1929.

FRANK ZETTEK.

